Freezing device power unit



Oct. 13, 1959 A. J. FREI FEEEZING DEVICE POWER UNIT Filed May 25, 1958nlvvll! Si 2,908,l43d2 eenenred Q,e r 13% 19,59

Y 2,908,146 e Y EREEZING DIW-ECE BOWER Arthur L Frei, Dayton, (litio, zlssig-nor to General Motors Corporatiorn Detroit,y lVlich., a'corporation of Delaware Annlicatien. May v2,2', 1958 Serial NQ.-l731;?.50 6 Claims. (Cr. 62--f-r3s) This invention relates to e freezingdevine in which en ice-Operated newer unit r meter rnoves Walls 0f a'grid in a tray Of, 2l freezing device.

For several reeeens freezing devieee 0f the tray and grid type whereinen iee motor rneve Welle et the grid have not beeerne generally popelenlirstly, die. mendfacturer ef Snell devieee hes experienced diflienltyin niek.; in en iee. rnetortherefor Smell end enrnpeet yet eenelrle ofample movement of elements ot tlie motor for tilting grid walls in etray 0i the treeeing devine n Sniileient dis: tance to. insure release.O f .all lee bldke from their eempertinents, eeornilyz there hes beenedntdeien in the, use et enen deviees dnt has led te @nner/ende on dieneit of the user thereei resulting in eernnleinte Eereren-if ple if themeter in n freenne deviee is ineenelile et tilting all nf die pluralitynt grid welle in I rey ei deviee e suliieient dietenee iee bleelre .indie ennlnerirnenn between the grid Wells nel tilted e preeerilaed diten@adhere to thewalls end renlzein leelred in the' 'd when the grid isretrieved frein the trav: Tine defends ieetive .et the device andneeeseitetes iee bleelrs remain: ing in the reiner/ ed grid., it .theyere deeired ter nnrnedi.- ele nee, tn be melted Q r tereililv eieetedthereirelnf else the lee motor ef Snell ,e ireeeing deviee rney tilt enegrid well therein te enlise lee bleelse edieeent therein@ ele: vete the.end einer ice b leelrs still blinded te its weile relative In ine treybefere the nemer endits eoenerntive elements .has eeted nn er tilted ell.einer Q f the grid nelle.

In `other werds there n iev be seniewlret Qi a. delay lrelween the timethe one grid vavt/ell is tn elevate tliegrid and ice bloeks relative tethe and subsequent tilting ef ell ether @i Vthe grid swells, Underthiscendition a user ni e ref-ligeretnr in which ne freezing device islocated desiring t0 harvest ige blocks will, upon viewing the gridelevated in the tray, assume that all ice blocks are :loosened from thegrid and nerrlove the freezing de? vice :from the -reffrigerater Landthe grid from the traytn nd that -only the few ice blocks are loosenedand availeble for use.. lIhis is an embarrassing situation and thefreezing devine, being -without a mannally ,operated 11e'.- ver or the,like for rejecting iceblocks from wa'l'lsof .the Tempi/.ed gridJ:inquims the :user l to replace the grid and ice blacks .bonded :theretointo V the .tray and .to reposition the freezing device in therefrigerator Afor further or continuqd chilling of the ice motor torender it eifective .to fili all ifthe Walls ,of the grid. `Thisinvention is 4therefore directed to overcoming defects in 'former`freezing devices employing a. soecarlled `Lslowv actingdfice motor Vand`specifically 'to eliminating confusion in the use o f such devlces.

A11 object of Athe invention is to prov/ide lan `improved ice-operatedpower motor .or Aunit rforlthe grid of a tray ahdjgnidftrypereezngdevice. f i e Another object ofkthisV invention is to provide en-iceoperated power ,motorrfcxrr a 4grid of@ lfreezing device which 7willinsure 4aV prescribed :shifting movement of i elelefieerinedeviee- 2 orithe. rnotor away frorn one another sol as to move or tilt wallsot thegrid Substantially instantaneously in. reepnde iQ 'e predetermined lowtemperature.

A tu lne/1; object of this invention is toprovde means in. en.ine-operated newer meter ier e, grid of a freezing device, thgit'willincrease expansion of freezable liquid inthe motor in ai certaindirection for multiplying the or travel of 4ellen;len-ts of the niotorat` a predeterrn.' ed iernneretnre te insure e Peeiiive end 'qui-Ck nioent vnf the Wel-le 0f, the grid di'spnsed in n 'tr-rfv 0f ln eerryingein the. iereeeing Obieen it ie e Still; furthf a.. I IlQe specnc objectif this invention to provide f en ice nro'tor of n' tr'ay and grid typefreczingde.-

vice @ineens foionstri'ctingy the expnnsion of n freznble liquid in diemefer'end. 0f eenvertine die eensiretien fliereef line e eeniinedinereeeed'lineerennensien WherebQv fen nlltinlvY end .Obtain qidekerneve-nient, nf ele- Inenisei'dieninten Further ebie'ets end edi/anlegen.ef the Present inveniien will be ennerent drenthe fllevvinedesefinfien,referenee. being lied in the eeeeninenving die 'I gewlieein e Preferred'ferm df the Present inv-enden ie, el Yeller/11- Finire l is, 'e'venieelseetienel. view 0f e n ev end grid Wille ir eine devine enninnedwith aneefenereted 1,10- tereenet ,eted eeenrdiriele' dieinventien;

Fig 2 is zin 'enlgrged long it'niingl sectional View of nerete'drneierelinvvn Pierre r1 nelements iliereni n "ie-n iedereen ensienef,liquidintnenididrtelresnleeeend Finire 'is 'e' Siniiler i0 Finne 2Showing eledlentleni die lnetn'r rneved @der lidiid' Confined 'dierfeinlies bleed .Snliieiendv finden er eXief edle ehifl de;

end sinne die grid :etrnedire fiflv illldeled end de- 2 die Gr er pSeribedlin diei intent, ne deldiled'deeeriniien ef die een Sln 1. ilenend nerellen @i die id .ie nee'essery Yherein 1 .er .ne ne' entieremente'dueneere .ef

n eyimprevee .neereted nieder .enit Sulnllllied fefr elle@ bv Geiler,-

In Pleure 1 0f the devine vdie dreenne device ineen ther rnprieesbriellveebfnidinef nell 0r ire-y lll lieving e b n1 .and nnwerdl-Yextending end ednverdlv divergnd end Welle d grid erd'efre 1 5 ie fenietfebly diep Sed' in tiny il? 0f die freeilnedeviee end includes erPartitioning Wells dividing interior ,nf the rev inte ,e rlnreliiy efeernridflniente 1n which water pinned-in die deviee is te be frezen inteseperated iee blneln under e helen freezing lernnefetdre nredneed bydeelnemer Qf e feffieereiine .eve eeseeieted with e leindeelield refrigereter Vdb iriei Grid Stlfdefdfe l5 evinnrises e rnein lengilndnezlPerliiien .er nell 16, e series O f enneed nnen einer er ,rrensnereleperdi-iene @wells-17,

eelnerine bei i8-ever1`v`1ng perdition ,1 6 end dierenn Wells 0rnertitinns 1 6 .and 1117 endrber ek'edlegether'fdnrnvide'e uni-ten'reiner/able endet. (e. n ine'ninner deseribed .in-the fCeyer parent enreferente reiner nein ,17" ere eepebie ef a reietiye rnoyernent ywith`respect .to vvdall a16. The cenn, fl {nnrtien ef refueling ber d8 iSein away te provide an elOn exted Opening dier-ein helling :Spelldimensione este dei ly' reeel@ edd Siedle .en ieennereted meter nun,

.eeel'v enelinred er ,nieunfed enen main Well 1 6,-

generally represented by the reference numeral 20, on grid 15 which unitis constructed as will be hereinafter described and to which the presentinvention is directed.

Referring now to Figure 2 of ythe drawing, the ice motor 20 in Figure 1includes two reaction elements adapted to be forced to move relative toone another. One of these elements is in the form of a one-piece tubularmember 21 having integral ends 22 and 23 of different diameter vvithrespect to one another. yThe smaller end 23 of element or member 2.1 hasa bore 24 therein and the larger end 22 thereof is provided with anelongated cylindrical chamber 26 axially aligned with bore- 24. Chamber26 is divided into an enlarged portion and a choke portion provided bythe inclined wall 27 which tapers from the enlarged chamber toward thebore 24. The chamber 26 -is of a substantially larger diameter than thediameter of bore 24 and is directly opposite the bore to communicatetherewith by way of tapered wall 27 which wall forms a choke portion inthe motor 20 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. A plug 28 sealsthe outer end of chamber 26 and a pin or stud 29 passes through anopening in this plug and an opening in an upstanding projection 31 onlongitudinal wall or partition 16 of grid -15 (see Figure l). This locksthe one end of element 21 of motor 2t) to the grid wall 16.V The otherreaction element of motor 2()V has a plunger or piston 33 formed thereonand slidably mounted within bore 24 of element 21. Plunger or piston 33has its inner end disposed adjacent to the choke portion, wall 27, ofelementV 21 and forms a closurefor the inner end of chamber 26. Theouter end 34 of plunger or element 33 may abut against a part ofactuating bar V18 on grid 15 and is preferably suitably attached to ears36 formed thereon by a pin or stud 37 (see Figure l). In order to tiethe actuating elements 21 and 33 of motor 20 together and permitrelative movement thereof alway from and toward one another a flexibleresilient interlock seal means is provided therebetween. Thisinterlocking seal may, as far as the present invention is concerned, beof any suitable or desirable construction and is herein shownras being astretchable rubber-like sleeve 41 provided with spaced apart internalribs 42 and 43. Rib 42 of sleeve 41 fits in a groove 46 cut in the smallend portion 23 of element 21 while rib 43 fits in a groove 47 cut in apart 48 of the* other reaction element intermediate its plungerr33 andits outer end V34. Metal collars 49 are roll or press fitted over endportions of theV rubber-like sleeve 41 to lockV ribs 42 and 43 in theirrespective grooves 46 and 47. Sleeve 41 is sufficiently iiexible topermit considerable stretching thereof upon sliding movement of plunger-33 outwardly of bore 24 and is of such resiliency as to pull thereaction 'elements of motor 20 together af-ter shifting of theseelements away from one another.

Cylindrical chamber 26 forms or provides an expansion compartment orchamber for motor 2li which is filled with and contains a freezableexpansion fluid of any suitable or desirable character or compositionsuch as water or a mixture of water and alcohol prior to sealing orclosing the end of chamber 26 by plug 28 to confine the fluid therein.The machined sliding lit of plunger 33 in bore 24 is such that none ofthe freezable liquid in chamber 26 is capable of leaking past theplunger but if some of the liquid should so leak sealing sleeve 41prevents its escape from motor 20.. Sleeve 41 normally holds the end ofplunger 33 of the one reaction element of motor 20 immediately adjacentthe gradually tapered Vchoke portion,V

wall 27,V of the other element 21 and movement of the j plunger andconsequently expansion of the liquid in chamchamber 26 expandspreferably at a temperature below the temperature at which water freezesinto ice blocksV in the compartments of the freezing device. Movement ofthe reacuon elements of'motor 20 away from one ane temperature at whichthe ice blocks are frozen.

4 other is utilized'to move or tilt inclined Walls or partitions 17 ofgrid 15 relative to the partit1on16 towardrthe vertical for breakingbonds between ice blocks frozen in the freezing device and walls of thetray and grid to` v.

automatically, in response to a predetermined temperature below that ofthe ice blocks, loosen ice blocks from their enlarged compartments andpermit harvesting thereof. It is to be understood that the choked fluidexpansion charn-V ber of motor 20 could, without departing from therealm of this invention, if desired, be in the shape of a'spheroid forconstricting the expanding freezable liquid but such shaped chambers aredifficult and expensive to provide.

Water is placed in tray 10 'of t'he freezing device to' of motor20 withlgrid 15 aids in preventing the water or' water and alcohol freezablemixture confined in the unitor motor from freezing until after all iceblocks in the freezing device have been hard-frozen. After suchhardfreezing of ice blocks the freezable mixture confinedl in chamber 26of Ymotor 20 gradually freezes and expands inrvolume at a predeterminedtemperature below the expansion and increase in volume of the freezableliquid mixture in chamber 26 is constricted by the tapered wall chokeportion 27 thereof and concentrated to expanding at a localized pointina linear direction against vthe end of element or plunger 33. Theexpanding freezable liquid will push plunger 33V outwardly of bore 24oftmotor 20 with a force capable of overcoming very high resistance` andat an increased speed and as the plunger moves outwardly of thebore itopens or exposes a part of the bore to communication with chamber 26. Byconstricting the expanding liquid and localizing its expansion as hereindescribed the freezable liquid expands into the opened or exposed partof bore 24 andsliding movement ofl plunger or reaction element 33 isthereby greatlymultiplied to insure a quick and complete movement ofelement 33 away from element 21 a prescribed'increased distance at apredetermined temperature (see Figure l3). It is to be noted thatstretching of rubber-like sleeve 41 to extend same as shown in Figure 3of the drawing causes its wall to thin out or be reducedin thickness toplace the sleeve under tension which tension is employed to move theelements 21 and 33 back toward one another` Y into their normal positionas shown in Figure 2 after motor 20 has been operated and after thefreezable liquid has absorbed heat and hasfcontracted vvithin chamber;

26. .Since plug 28 of reaction element V21 is secured, as by pm or stud29, to wall 16and the end 34 of reaction element 33 is secured, as bypin or stud 36, to actuating bar 18 of gridV 15 this bar 18 is forced tomove with `re spect .to the stationary portion or element 21 of motororunit 20 as indicated in Figure 3 toward the left hand end of thefreezing device as viewed in Figure l of the? drawing Vrelative to thelongitudinal wall or partition 16 of the grid structure. In other wordsthe elongation of ice motor 20, or movement of its reaction element 33away from reaction element 21, causes a relative sliding movementbetween bar 18 and longitudinal grid wall16.

Sliding of bar 18 causes notches 'provided thereinandV fitting over anedge portion of each of the transverse walls or partitions 17 to engageand tilt these walls in successionV one Vafter the other for looseningice blocks in compartments of the freezing device from both the tray 10andV grid 15 so that they maybe readily harvested from the patenthereinbefore identified; The increased or multiplied movement of plunger33 within bore 24 obtained by. choking, fconstricting and concentratingexpansion of the freezable liquid in motor, 2,0 as herein disclosed profvides a rapid or substantially instantaneous shifting of This grogne allWalls offthe grid structure i through a prescribed distance atapredetermined temperature even though 'walls 17'are moved insmzcession;l

It should, from the foregoing, yberapparent that I' have inad'e animprovement in ice-Uprated motor units Ifor Afreezing devices whichresults in axqnick movementl of l elements thereof' throughout `adesired or prescribed distance in response-to 4a predetenninedtemperature. This result is accomplished in a novel manner by an icemotorb havinga choke portion in freeaable liquid chamber whichconstricts expansion ofthe and increases the expanding thereof in aconcentrated linear direction. to

. cause the movement of a movable plunger or piston to be multipliedover that heretofore obtained in prior ice motors. Such is highlydesi-rable and' important in iceoperatedmotors used in conjunction agrid structure of' a freezing device of the type herein disclosedbecause the substantially instantaneousmovement of all grid wallsovercomesl the confusion and objections as herein-before explained toformer yice-operated motors; Also by my invention the multipliedmovement of the motor piston renders the motor more adaptable toice-operated types of ice block makers. wherein the increased movementof the motor piston can be used to move or shift other elements inaddition to grid wal-ls, for accomplishing various results. For example,the multiplied movement of an ice motor piston asobtained yby thepresent invention pro vides a motor that is highly satisfactory for usein an ice making apparatus of the typel disclosed in my' co pendingapplication S.N. 737,249, led May 23, 1958, in, which the additionalmovement of the motor piston is utilized to rotate a grid member out ofa tray member of a freezing device for discharging ice blocks loosenedin the device therefrom.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight lbe adopted, as may come Within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An ice motor for a freezing device of the character including a trayand a grid therein having a plurality of relatively movable partitionsdividing the interior of the tray into compartments in which water is tobe frozen into separated ice blocks, said motor comprising reactionelements forced to move relative to one another at a predeterminedtemperature below the temperature at which water in the device freezesfor reacting between partitions of the grid to move them, one of saidreaction elements having a bore in an end thereof and a -chamberopposite to and communicating with said bore, said chamber beingsubstantially larger than the diameter of said bore and having a chokeportion tapered toward same, a plunger on the other of said reactionelements slidably mounted in said bore, said plunger being beyond saidchamber with its end normally disposed adjacent said' choke portionthereof and closing the chamber, said chamber containing a freezableliquid, said freezable liquid yexpanding in said chamber at saidpredetermined temperature `and being constricted by said chamber chokeportion whereby expansion thereof against said plunger multipliessliding of the plunger in said bore to shift said elements away from oneanother.

2. An ice motor for a freezing device of the character y including atray and a grid therein having a plurality of relatively movablepartitions dividing the interior of the tray into compartments in whichwater is to be frozen into separated ice blocks, said motor comprisingreaction elements forced to move a prescribed distance relative to oneanother at a predetermined temperature below the temperature at whichwater in the device freezes for reacting between partitions of the gridto move them, one of said reaction elements having a bore in an endthereof' and a chamber opposite to and communicating with said bore,said chamber being substantially larger than the diameter of said boreand having a choke portion tapered beyond said chamber its end normallydisposed adiacent said choke portion thereof andI closing the chamber,

" said chamber containing a freezable liquid, said freezable liquidexpanding in said chamber at said predeterm-ined` temperature againstsaid plunger to slide same in said bore and to expose a part thereof tothe chamberV whereby said freezing liquid expands into said vexposed'part of the bore while being constricted vby said chamber choke portionfor multiplying the sliding movement of the plunger to shift saidelements away from one another throughout said prescribed distance.

3. An ice motor for a freezing device ofthe character including a trayand a grid therein having a plurality of relatively movable partitionsdividing the interior of the tray into compartments in which water is tobe frozen into separated ice blocks, said motor comprising reactionelements forced to move relative to one another at a predeterminedtemperature below the temperature at which water in the devicefreezesfor reacting between partitions of the Vgrid to move them, one of saidreaction elements having a bore in an end thereof and an alignedcylindrical chamber communicating lwith said bore, said chamber beingdivided into a first portion having a cross sectional area substantiallylarger than the diameter of said bore and a choke portion graduallytapered from said rst portion thereof toward the bore, a plunger on theother` of said reaction elements slidably mounted in said bore, saidplunger being beyond said chamber with its end normally disposedadjacent said choke portion thereof and closing the chamber, saidchamber containing =a freezable liquid, said freezable liquid expandingin said chamber at said predetermined temperature and having itsexpansion constricted by said chamber choke portion whereby to increaselineal movement of the expanding freezable liquid against said plungerand multiply sliding of the plunger in said bore for shifting saidelements away from one another.

4. An ice motor for a freezing device of the character including a trayand a grid therein having a plurality of relatively mov-able partitionsdividing the interior of the tray into compartments in which water is tobe frozen into separated ice blocks, said motor comprising reactionelements forced to move a prescribed distance relative to one another ata predetermined temperature below the temperature at which water in thedevice freezes for reacting between partitions of the grid to move them,one of said reaction elements having a bore in an end thereof and analigned cylindrical chamber communicating with said bore, said chamberbeing divided into a first portion having a cross sectional areasubstantially larger than the diameter of said bore and a choke portiongradually tapered from said iirst portion thereof toward the bore, aplunger on the other of said reaction elements slidably mounted in saidbore, said plunger being beyond said chamber with its end normallydisposed adjacent said choke portion thereof and closing the chamber,said chamber containing a freezable liquid, said freezable liquidexpanding in said chamber at saidpredetermined temperature against saidplunger to slide same in said bore and to expose a part thereof to thechamber, and said choke portion of said chamber constricting expansionof said freezable liquid to increase lineal movement thereof whereby itexpands into said exposed part of `the bore and multiplies the slidingof the plunger to shift said elements away from one another throughoutsaid prescribed distance. f

'5. An ice motor for a freezing device of the character including a trayand a grid therein having a plurality of relatively movable partitionsdividing the interior of the tray into compartments in which water is tobe frozen into separated ice blocks, said motor comprising reactionelements'forced to move relative to one another at a predeterminedtemperature below the temperature at which water in the device freezesfor reacting between the partitions of the grid to move them, oneofsai'dreaction elements being inthe form of a 'one-piece, tubular`4member'provided,with integral ends of different diameter with respectto one another, said member having abore in its smaller` end, anenlarged `aligned chamber in its larger end and a choke portionproviding communication between the bore and said enlarged chamber,"means for sealing one end of said chamber, a plunger onthe other ofsaid reaction elements mounted in said bore for sliding movement thereina prescribed distance, `said plunger being wholly outside said chamberwith its inner end disposed adjacent said choke portion of said elementtoclose the other endj of said chamber, said chamber containing afreezable liquid, and said freezable liquid upon expanding insaidchamber in response toY said predetermined temperaturerbeing constrictedby said choke por* tion to multiply its linear expansion for sliding theplunger in said bore throughout said prescribed distance Y reactionelements having a bore in an end thereof: anda chamber opposite to andcommunicating withfsaidubore,

said chamber being substantially larger lthangthe diameter of said boreand having a choke Aportion tapered vtoward same,a plunger ony the otherof said reaction elements slidably mounted in said bore, said plungerbeing beyondV said chamber with its end normally disposed adjacentAlsaid choke portionthereof andA closing the chamber,

said chamber containing a freezable liquid,lsaid freezableliquidexpanding in said chamber at said predetermined;

' temperature and being eonstricted by said chamber choke,

portion wherebyV expansion thereof againstl said plungermultipliessliding of the plunger in said bore to shift said` elements away fromone another, a resilient sleeve interposed between said elementssealingthe freezableliquid in said motor, and meansmechanically clampingan end of said sleeve topsaid one element and'its opposite endrto saidother element for movementftherewith tostretchand tension the sleevewhereby saidl end of said plunger vis,V

returned to its normal position adjacentsaidvchoke'portion of saidchamber in response to thawing of the free'zf ableliquid, i e v YReferencesl Cited in the kiile of this patent .i

' UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,576,591 2,833,123 Kennedy E May'6, 1958`2,844,009

fr Geyer Nov. 27, ,A19-5lL Buchanan July 22, 19,58'

